Vizgard Secures £1.5M to Revolutionise Defence and Public Safety with Visual AI

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Enhancing Security with AI Innovation

Vizgard, a cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) software company, has raised £1.5 million in an oversubscribed funding round led by Sure Valley Ventures, with additional participation from Midwich Ignite and Focal. This funding will accelerate Vizgard’s mission to enhance Defence and Public Safety systems using its proprietary visual AI platform, FortifAI.

 

 

FortifAI: Bridging Gaps in Defence and Public Safety

1. Transformative Capabilities

FortifAI leverages low-power, commercially available processors to deliver:

• Real-Time Threat Identification: Precise detection and analysis of threats.

• Automatic Camera Control: Reducing operator workload significantly.

• Behaviour Risk Index: A proprietary algorithm calculating human-explainable danger probability scores while protecting privacy with automatic face blurring.

2. Robust AI for Real-World Scenarios

Combining traditional computer vision with advanced deep learning, FortifAI enables:

• Detection of complex safety events, such as responding to vulnerable individuals at risk.

• Automatic alerts for events previously unaddressed by conventional systems.

 

 

Meeting Growing Defence Sector Demands

Founder’s Vision

Founded in 2021 by former Royal Navy submariner Alex Kehoe, Vizgard addresses the growing demand for reliable AI-powered automation in Defence:

• Acknowledging gaps highlighted by the House of Commons Defence Committee report on AI deployment.

• Delivering edge-operating AI that reacts faster, acts independently in the absence of GPS or communication, and provides actionable collaborative feedback.

Key Contracts and Projects

Vizgard has secured contracts with:

• The Ministry of Defence and HMGCC Co-Creation.

• Leading defence technology companies and a major UK transport organisation.

• Sesanti, a British camera manufacturer, and multiple national police departments.

Vizgard also participates in a £12 million Innovate UK consortium led by Altitude Angel, developing a 165-mile drone superhighway, and recently received a Home Office contract for a portable knife-detection solution powered by FortifAI.

 

 

Statements from Leadership and Investors

Alex Kehoe, Founder & CEO of Vizgard

"The UK has all the ingredients to lead the world in defence AI, but the pace of transitioning from Proof of Concept to deployment is lagging. From the beginning, we focused on developing AI that could deliver the most immediate impact – operating at the edge, within or near moving cameras. Whether on land, in the air, or at sea, this approach ensures systems can react faster, act independently if GPS or communication is lost, and even act collaboratively to provide more actionable feedback."

Brian Kinane, Founding Partner at Sure Valley Ventures

"Vizgard is tackling the growing need for time-critical visual intelligence and precision camera automation in security and defence solutions. Their technology addresses important AI reliability concerns through a robust ‘systems approach’, identifying threats that would have been missed and allowing stronger performance in new environments."

Will Fenby, Investor at Midwich Ignite

"Vizgard’s visual AI platform, FortifAI, offers a revolution in public safety. With our expertise in the UK security market, we are delighted to be supporting a business at the forefront of AI innovation in this space."

 

 

Future Plans for Vizgard

Accelerating Growth

With the £1.5 million funding, Vizgard will:

• Expand the capabilities of its FortifAI platform.

• Strengthen its presence in Defence and Public Safety sectors.

• Continue building innovative solutions that prioritise both security and privacy.

Scaling Innovation

Vizgard’s commitment to robust and reliable AI will drive:

• Faster deployment of edge-operating AI solutions.

• Enhanced collaboration with government and private organisations.

• Broader applications of its visual AI technologies across Defence, Public Safety, and related industries.